Abstract
The spread of the COVID-19 has proved deadly, and this is a challenging time for every single person belonging to any field or any background whether the person is a medical professional or a daily wage worker. Journalism has a great role to play in a democracy, as it has been ideally visualised as a platform for objective information and critical-rational discourse. Thus, the health of journalism in a country can be examined in the times of a crisis. Media is playing an important role in the COVID-19 response, even as it poses challenges to the industry. For the media sector, coronavirus creates both opportunities and challenges. Today, social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, have become primary sources of information. They are also vehicles for fake news and disinformation. Mitigating the advent of rumours and misinformation during the COVID-19 epidemic is crucial, since misinformation and fake news creates panic, fear and anxiety among people, predisposing them to various mental health conditions.
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic can be considered unique. With large portions of the public staying home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic to help stem the spread of the virus, people have few options but to rely even more heavily on media and media technologies to keep updated and stay connected. Mass media and social media platforms played a crucial role in providing information regarding the Coronavirus. In the face of COVID-19, media is a great way for individuals and communities to stay connected even while physically separated. Since little is known about the novel Coronavirus, it is essential to provide the correct information obtained from an authentic source. It is difficult to collect the current data of the affected, recovered and casualties, for, the rapidly changing data on Coronavirus. It is reported that the elderly and immune compromised individuals are more at risk for COVID-19 infection. Social media is one of the primary source proliferating the information regarding the virus The major drawback of social media amid a problematic situation as COVID-19 pandemic is that social media has been conveniently used as an approach to convey misinformation and fake news . After the advent of social networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, the information transmission in disaster contexts has increased globally at various levels. These misinformation’s need attention for enhancing sentiment awareness, improving emergency responses and supporting decision making.
Influence of Media and Its loop holes in the time of Crisis
Mass media have long been regarded as critical sources of public perceptions of risk. Through the media, people are acknowledged as a chance that offers the risk warnings and interprets the risk issues regarding the pandemic. The information regarding risk is presented in a manner that influences people’s perception of risk, especially sensational media reporting of a pandemic crisis. The politicization of this outbreak has been another difficult aspect today. Fundamentally, for many journalists, political motive is an important part of their job, with the aim of the media being to hold governments and governing bodies to account. Journalism is considered to be an ethical communicative practice in a democracy, but corporate ownership subverts the autonomy of journalism and the freedom of the press. Unfortunately, this conflict of interest has become a common feature of Indian journalism. The sudden announcement of the lockdown which gave people barely four hours of advance were notice created a nationwide panic, and the migrant labourers the worst affected. In the absence of work and other support in the cities, thousands of labourers and their families desperately wanted to go back to their homes. With no transportation available, many began the arduous journey on foot, and many were subjected to police brutality along the way, and some have died on the road back home. The lockdown, thus, was worse than COVID-19 for the homeless and the poor. While a few in the media made visible their plight, a particular kind of media coverage and projection also led to the middle class blaming migrants for their “irresponsible behaviour” during the pandemic. Media’s ugliest moment however, the media outrage that followed was clearly an extension of the already prejudiced and polarised coverage, as the Tablighi Jamaat was blamed for violating lockdown rules and for “corona jihad,” “Islamic insurrection,” and “corona terrorism.” Even as details about the congregation emerged on national news, #Corona_Jihad, #Nizamuddin_Idiots, #Covid-786 (a number that carries religious meaning for Muslims), began trending.
The coverage of the public-health crisis by these organisations contained little mention of the poor planning and disastrous implementation of the lockdown, or the government’s failure to prepare for the pandemic.
Conclusion
For the current COVID-19 pandemic, the development of a real-time information sharing system is must, which analyses the data from a variety of social media platforms in several languages globally. Strengthening the capacity of risk communication is an essential component of global efforts to enhance global health security. This period should encourage us to draw lessons about the way the world works and changes, about social relations, about the importance of public services and access to information. Our media contribute to the international reflection and debate needed to build the post-pandemic future and make the most of it. The Government bodies and public health care authorities should utilize the media in teaching awareness among the people and narrowing panic.
Eduindex News 